Work machine

• US 9,574,324 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2012
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Satake, Hidetoshi, Edamura, Manabu, Ooki, Takatoshi, Nishikawa, Shinji, Shibata, Kouichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Leslie, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dustin T
• Application Number:
  US14/115,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20140165548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,748 Days
• Field of Search: 607/19, 606/98, 604/22, 180/305, 180/306, 180/307, 180/308, 414/930, 701/50
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/10 of fluid gearing of fluid clutches B60K17/02
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0416 Arrangement in the rear part of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 25/00 Auxiliary drives B60K16/00 takes precedence; arrangements of tyre-inflating pumps mounted on vehicles B60C23/10; driving tyre-inflating pumps B60C; driving engine auxiliaries F02B
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 25/04 from static or dynamic pressure or vacuum, developed by the engine
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0015 the motor being hydraulic
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/41 Construction vehicles, e.g. graders, excavators
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/412 Excavators
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/415 Wheel loaders
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/123 Drives or control devices specially adapted therefor E02F9/125 and E02F9/128 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2075 of the hybrid type for vehicles in general B60W20/00
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2095 Control of electric, electro-mechanical or mechanical equipment not otherwise provided for, e.g. ventilators, electro-driven fans control of hydraulic driven equipment E02F9/22
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/226 Safety arrangements, e.g. hydraulic driven fans, preventing cavitation, leakage, overheating
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2296 Systems with a variable displacement pump
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/267 Diagnosing or detecting failure of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors

Abstract

A work machine includes a swing hydraulic motor and a swing electric motor for driving an upper swing structure. A capacitor supplies electricity to the swing electric motor and an operating device outputs through one operation, an operating signal for concurrently operating the swing hydraulic motor and the swing electric motor. A main controller switches between a hydraulic-alone drive mode and an electric-alone drive mode, the hydraulic-alone drive mode being a mode to drive only the swing hydraulic motor selected from the swing hydraulic motor and the swing electric motor when the operating device is operated, the electric-alone drive mode being a mode to drive only the swing electric motor selected from the swing hydraulic motor and the swing electric motor when the operating is operated. Therefore, the actuator that malfunctions can easily be specified among the plurality of mounted actuators.

Claims

1. A work machine comprising:

two or more actuators to drive a common drive object, the actuators including at least one hydraulic actuator and one electric actuator;

a hydraulic pump for to supply pressurized fluid to the hydraulic actuator;

an electric power supply device to supply electricity to the electric actuator;

an operating device having a control lever to output, through a single operation via the control lever, an operating signal for concurrently operating the hydraulic actuator and the electric actuator;

a controller configured to switch between a plurality of drive modes including a hydraulic-alone drive mode and an electric-alone drive mode, wherein the hydraulic-alone drive mode drives only the hydraulic actuator among the two or more actuators to thereby drive the drive object when the operating device is operated, and the electric-alone drive mode drives only the electric actuator among the two or more actuators to thereby drive the drive object when the operating device is operated; and

an input device used by an operator to select, at the operator'"'"'s request, any one of the plurality of drive modes including the hydraulic-alone drive mode and the electric-alone drive mode,

wherein, when one of the hydraulic-alone drive mode or the electric-alone drive mode is selected with the input device, the controller is further configured to switch the drive mode of the drive object in accordance with the drive mode thus selected.

2. The work machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pair of hydraulic ports installed in a line for supplying pressurized fluid to the hydraulic actuator and a line for discharging pressurized fluid from the hydraulic actuator, respectively; and

a measurement part for attaching thereto a measuring device for measuring at least one of a value and a phase of an electrical current flowing in an electric power line connected to the electric actuator and a value of voltage of the electrical power line.

3. The work machine according to claim 2, further comprising:

a pressure measuring device mounted to the pair of hydraulic ports, the pressure measuring device outputting pressures before and behind the hydraulic actuator; and

an electric measuring device mounted to the measurement part, the electric measuring device outputting the current value of the electric power line connected to the electric actuator.

4. The work machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of first sensors to detect pressures before and behind the hydraulic actuator;

a second sensor to detect a state of the electric current of an electric power line connected to the electric actuator,

wherein the controller is further configured to output values from at least one of the first sensors and the second sensor when the hydraulic-alone drive mode or the electric-alone drive mode is selected with the input device.

5. The work machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control valve to communicate a line for supplying pressurized fluid to the hydraulic actuator with a line for discharging pressurized fluid from the hydraulic actuator, when the electric-alone drive mode is selected with the input device,

wherein the controller is further configured to output a torque-zero signal as an operating signal for the electric actuator when the hydraulic-alone drive mode is selected with the input device.

6. The work machine according to claim 5, further comprising:

a sensor to detect a displacement of the hydraulic actuator or the electric actuator,

wherein the controller is further configured to output a value of the sensor when the hydraulic-alone drive mode or the electric-alone drive mode is selected with the input device.

7. The work machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of sensors to output signals representing various states of the hydraulic actuator and the electric actuator;

a storage unit having stored therein reference values of the signals of the various states each serving as a reference for detecting the malfunction of the hydraulic actuator and the electric actuator, the reference values being values of the signals of the various states encountered when a predetermined operation is performed through the operating device in the case where the hydraulic-alone drive mode or the electric-alone drive mode is selected; and

a connection terminal for connection with display means for displaying a screen on the basis of a display signal outputted from the controller;

wherein, when the hydraulic-alone drive mode or the electric-alone drive mode is selected, the controller is further configured to output to the connection terminal a first display signal for requesting the predetermined operation of an operator via the operating device, and output to the connection terminal a second display signal for displaying the relations between the reference values and the output signals of the sensors encountered when the operating device is operated based on the first display signal.

8. A work machine comprising:

two or more actuators to drive a common drive object, the actuators including at least one hydraulic actuator and one electric actuator;

a hydraulic pump to supply pressurized fluid to the hydraulic actuator;

an electric power supply device to supply electricity to the electric actuator;

an operating device having a control lever to output, through a single operation via the control lever, an operating signal for concurrently operating the hydraulic actuator and the electric actuator;

a controller configured to switch between a plurality of drive modes including a combined drive mode and an electric-alone drive mode, where the combined drive mode drives the two or more actuators to thereby drive the drive object when the operating device is operated, and the electric-alone drive mode drives only the electric actuator among the two or more actuators to thereby drive the drive object when the operating device is operated; and

an input device used by an operator to select, at the operator'"'"'s request, any one of the plurality of drive modes including the combined drive mode and the electric-alone drive mode,

wherein, when one of the combined drive mode or the electric-alone drive mode is selected with the input device, the controller is further configured to switch the drive mode of the drive object in accordance with the drive mode thus selected.

9. A work machine comprising:

two or more actuators to drive a common drive object, the actuators including at least one hydraulic actuator and one electric actuator;

a hydraulic pump to supply pressurized fluid to the hydraulic actuator;

an electric power supply device to supply electricity to the electric actuator;

an operating device having a control lever to output, through a single operation via the control lever, an operating signal for concurrently operating the hydraulic actuator and the electric actuator; and

a controller configured to switch between a plurality of drive modes including a combined drive mode and a hydraulic-alone drive mode, wherein the combined drive mode drives the two or more actuators to thereby drive the drive object when the operating device is operated, and the hydraulic-alone drive mode drives only the hydraulic actuator among the two or more actuators to thereby drive the drive object when the operating device is operated; and

an input device used by an operator to select, at the operator'"'"'s request, any one of the plurality of drive modes including the combined drive mode and the hydraulic-alone drive mode;

wherein, when one of the combined drive mode or the hydraulic-alone drive mode is selected with the input device, the controller is further configured to switch the drive mode of the drive object in accordance with the drive mode thus selected.